1878-CC VAM-10

Description

Cataloged as 10 II3 · B2d (Wide CC), the 1878-CC VAM-10 Morgan dollar identifies a reverse die with widely spaced CC mintmark letters set at medium height beneath the eagle's tail feathers. George T. Morgan's silver dollar design was struck at the Carson City Mint during its early years of Morgan dollar production, with the 1878-CC carrying a mintage of approximately 2.21 million coins — modest by series standards and reflective of the Nevada facility's limited capacity compared to Philadelphia and San Francisco. The notation "Likely a duplication of VAM-7" signals that VAM-10 may share its die characteristics with the previously documented VAM-7, a common occurrence in the evolving VAM catalog where independent discoveries are later reconciled against existing attributions. The Reverse B2d classification identifies a B2-type reverse featuring a short arrow shaft, combined with the distinctive wide CC mintmark spacing that provides the primary diagnostic. Carson City mintmarks were hand-punched into each working die individually, producing natural variations in spacing, height, and tilt that form the basis for many CC Morgan dollar VAM attributions. The "wide" designation indicates the two C letters are separated by a noticeably greater gap than the typical CC pairing for this date, while the "medium height" position places the mintmark in the center of the vertical range observed across the full population of 1878-CC dies. Obverse die type II3 pairs this reverse with one of the standard obverse classifications for the inaugural Morgan dollar year. Carson City Morgan dollars command consistent collector premiums due to the mint's romantic association with the Comstock Lode silver mining era and the facility's relatively low production volumes across the series.

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